MATS GUSTAFSSON/PAAL NILSSEN-LOVE "SPLATTER" MINI ALBUM (22. OCT 2007)
Back in 2001 Smalltown Supersound released its first free jazz record. It was the start of what would later turn into the Smalltown Superjazzz label. And the first release was the duo of Mats Gustafsson and Paal Nilssen-Love and their album “I Love it when you snore” This was also the start of a long and lasting relationship with the label and the two artists who now forms the foundation of the Smalltown Superjazzz label. “I Love it when you snore” represented the new, fresh and young Scandinavian free-jazz scene. Even Penguin Guide To Jazz honored the album with full score. 4 out of 4 points! Describing the duo as devastating. Further they said “Crucially, the two are recorded in a dry intense close up which has an almost shocking impact. A prefect piece of documentation which works superbly as a record” (Penguins Guide To Jazz)
We are now proud to announce that the duo is back with a mini album, 4 tracks and 20 minutes of music recorded live when Smalltown celebrated its 10 years anniversary in Oslo in February 2004. As with their debut album Gustafsson and Nilssen-Love`s punkrock roots is highly visible and the musical expression is an explosion of energy created by breath and muscles. “Splatter” is raw power that brings to mind the the wild and beautiful days of Albert Ayler and Peter Brotzmann`s Machine Gun session.
FREE FALL "THE POINT IN A LINE" (29. OCT 2007)
Free Fall is:
Ken Vandermark – clarinets
Håvard Wiik – piano
Ingebrigt Håker Flaten – doublebass
Smalltown Superjazzz is proud to present the brand new studio album from the Free Fall trio consisting of Havard Wiik, Ken Vandermark and Ingebrigt Haker Flaten. With clarinets, piano and bass Free Fall creates magical moods and brings the heritage of Jimmy Giuffres` legendary 60s trio with Paul Bley and Steve Swallow into the new millennium. “The Point In A Line” is the perfect meeting between the innovative jazz scenes in Oslo and Chicago. It’s melancholic, dark, moody but also melodic. The album is recorded in Chicago by Jason Ward and the post production on the album is done by Ward, Vandermark and Bob Weston (Shellac).
Free Fall debuted with “Furnace,” to great acclaim in 2002. The album was released on Mac McCaughan`s (of the punkrock group Superchunk) Merge Records` (Arcade Fire) jazz imprint, Wobbly Rail. After that the trio signed to Smalltown Superjazzz and released the great “Amsterdam Funk” to wide acclaim.
PETER BROTZMANN/MATS GUSTAFSSON/PAAL NILSSEN-LOVE "THE FAT IS GONE" (22. OCT 2007)
This is a proud moment for Smalltown Superjazzz! Finally we get the opportunity to work with Mr. Machinegun himself, Peter Brotzmann! “The Fat Is Gone” was recorded live at Molde International Jazz Festival in 2006. The meeting between the godfather of free-jazz and the innovators of the modern free-jazz scene in Scandinavia, Mats Gustafsson and Paal Nilssen-Love, resulted in this mastodon of an album. This is the European free-jazz underground at its best. A devastating, blasting, raw, ferocious sonic assault on all senses. And beautiful, painfully beautiful.
Peter Brotzmann
“Very few musicians in the history of jazz and creative music have created a voice as powerful and distinct as as legendary German saxophonist, Peter Brotzmann. Playing with unyielding conviction, he blows with relentless, brutal passion; an honest and innovative voice during a time of despair, devoid of creative respect and sensitivity” (Music and the Creative Spirit). Brotzmann moved into free playing in the early 60`s, one of the first European saxophonists to do so. He has since become a godfather-figure to more than one generation of free-jazz explorers. His most well known record is the legendary Machine Gun from 1968. An album where Brotzmann played punk rock 10 years before punk rock was invented.
Mats Gustafsson:
Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth described Mats`s work perfect: “Mats is the most modern of players where the genre tags of jazz, noise, experimental, avant-whatever are finally transcended to a new millennium – where compositional concepts are at once in check with open improvisation and a supermodernism what we always wanted: rock & roll”. Gustafsson`s list of collaborators is impressive; Jim O` Rourke, Thurston Moore (with both he also has the trio Diskaholics Anonymous as well as the band Original Silence with), David Grubbs, Peter Brötzmann, Ken Vandermark, Joe McPhee and Sonic Youth. He is also part of The Thing.
Paal Nilssen-Love:
Paal Nilssen-Love is one of the most respected on the Scandinavian jazz scene, and his percussion skills are simply awsome! He is part of The Thing, Original Silence, Offonoff, Atomic and Scorch Trio (with Raoul Björkenheim) He has among others played with Joe McPhee, John Butcher, Thurston Moore, Evan Parker, Jim O`Rourke, and Peter Brötzmann to name a few.
TWO BANDS AND A LEGEND "I SEE YOU BABY EP" (29. OCT 2007)
This EP was recorded during the same session that resulted in the self titled album that was released earlier this year. These tracks didn’t fit the album and it was immediately decided to make this into an EP that would be released after the album.
The EP contains 3 tracks and 30 minutes with music. It starts of with a cover version by Groove Armada`s (!) “I see you baby” with Joe McPhee on vocals which is worth the price alone! The EP also features a new version of Joe McPhee`s seminal Black Panther anthem “Nation Time” from 1970 as well as Donald Ayler`s beautiful epic “Our Prayer”.
MATS GUSTAFSSON & YOSHIMI "WORDS ON THE FLOOR" (Out now)
It it with great pleasure that we get to work with Yoshimi, best know from the mighty Boredoms and from her own band OOIOO (on Thrill Jockey), but also from great early nineties new wave band Free Kitten which she had together with Mark Ibold of Pavement and Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth. Yoshimi is also known to many from Flaming Lip`s album title “Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots”.
Sweden`s Mats Gustafsson is today one of the world's biggest names on the free music scene. Through groups like The Thing, Gush, Diskaholics Anonymous Trio (with Thurston Moore and Jim O`Rourke), Peter Brötzmann`s Chicago Tentet, Original Silence (Thurston Moore, Terrie The Ex, Jim O`Rourke, Paal Nilssen-Love and Massimo Zu) and collaborations with Sonic Youth and David Grubbs, he has established himself as a very powerful saxophonist, and has somewhat reinvented the way of playing the saxophone
Mats Gustafsson a long time fan of Yoshimi`s work, teamed up with her for a duo show at Malmo Konserthus in Sweden in April 2005. The show was recorded and the result is “Words On The Floor”. A mighty piece of music. A monumental zen like psychedelic drone piece for sax`es and voice.
The sound on the CD was created by slide saxophone (Mats being of the few in the world today to play this instrument), tenor sax, baritone sax, alto fluteophone and electronics, all by Mats as well as Yoshimi`s voice plus electronics.
The cover of the album was created by Kim Hiorthoy.
TWO BANDS AND A LEGEND "S/T" (Out now)
The meeting between The Thing and Cato Salsa Experience started at the Kongsberg Jazzfestival in Norway in 2004, when The Thing was offered the chance to invite their favorite rock band Cato Salsa Experience, for a special collaboration. The show was a success and this also led to the critically acclaimed EP “Sounds Like A Sandwich” on Smalltown Superjazzz. It was immediately decided that the two bands and the legend should go into studio to record a fullenght album. The result is the self titled album “Two Bands And A Legend”. On the album the bands do their own versions of tracks like “Who The Fuck” by PJ Harvey, “Baby Talk” by James Blood Ulmer among others. The CD is the perfect pairing of the dirty 60s influenced free-jazz that of The Thing and the raw and minimalistic garage rock of Cato Salsa Experience. Most tracks on this album was recorded in one take only with no overdubs. Liner notes by their big fan Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth says it all:
Is this superjazz?
Does The Thing want to rock the fuck out?
Is Paal Nilssen a love machine?
Do Cato & Bård rip the shit outta guitar?
When McPhee & Gustafsson intro guitar to “Louie, Louie” do you know it’s the best throwdown yet of that klassick since Black Flag?
Does PJ Harvey rule and do these guys love her?
Do we blast through hate?
Mongezi Feza, man - total beautiful African sweet charge, can you drink this to the boss rock zone playlist?
Does Alva Melin’s groove jam “The Nut” destroy yr mind b4 ignition to free life 4-ever?
And will you thank the rock n roll gods for that love groove coda?
Can you shout out James Blood Ulmer!?
Can you shout out James Blood Ulmer rules supreme and heavy and these cats blow a masterful “Baby Talk”?
Are you cramped?
Can you find yr mind?
Can you shake yr ass?
Is it Nation Time!?
This CD answers all those questions and the answer resounds: YYYYYYYYYESSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!
I shit you not.
thurston moore - western massachusetts - 2005
LASSE MARHAUG "ALIVE" (Out now)
Norwegian Lasse Marhaug has been working within the fields of noise music for over 15 years. He has toured most parts of the world, both as a solo artist and as a member of the project Jazzkammer. Marhaug has collaborated with noise artists such as Merzbow, Kevin Drumm (Moikai/Mego), Russell Haswell (WARP), Sunno))), free-jazzers like Mats Gustafsson and Paal Nilssen-Love, and has performed with members of black metal bands like Enslaved, Mayhem (ex-drummer Manheim), Thorns and Defiled.
With “Alive” Lasse keeps on paying homage to his metal roots (this time Kiss`s classic Alive). Alive is a selection of live recordings done all over the world in the period of 1998 to 2006. In many ways this is a travel letter from Lasse Marhaug to you! A travel letter in noise. Marhaug has the last 10 years travelled and played like a nomad all over the globe spreading the noise. This live album features recordings done among others in Toronto, Bergen, Chicago, New York, Oslo, Baltimore and more. Its starts out with a special piece that Lasse made for the Alarm Award (Norwegian grammy award). He got the assignment from Smalltown Superjazzz and was told by the label to “make ears bleed”. Lasse succeeded, he made shockwaves through the audience that was dressed for party and easy listening, and he probably did one of his hardest and most violent tracks he ever. This also says a lot on how far the noise music has come. Lasse performs at Grammy Award and bands like bands like Animal Collective, Black Dice, Boredoms, Wolf Eyes, Liars, Sunno))), are almost regarded as rock stars these days. This CD documents almost 10 years with noise, and it shows the development on todays noise scene as well as it documents the development of an artist that is today regarded as one of the most respected noise musicians and huge influence of todays noise scene.
ORIGINAL SILENCE "THE FIRST ORIGINAL SILENCE" (Out now)
A monster is born, a clash of the the titans! Original Silence is the new band of:
Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth)
Terrie Ex (The Ex)
Jim O`Rourke
Mats Gustafsson (The Thing),
Paal Nilssen-Love (The Thing, Atomic)
Massimo Pupillo (Zu).
The band was put together by Mats Gustafsson, known from his work with Sonic Youth, Peter Brotzman, David Grubbs and groups like Diskaholics Anonymous Trio and The Thing among others.
The recordings on this album was recorded live on the Original Silence Italian tour, the 30th of September 2005 in Teatro Arisoto, Reggio Emilia, Italy, to be more specific. This is the first in a series of recordings from Original Silence. There is obviously lots of early Sonic Youth, The Ex and Scandinavia free-jazz in this album. But you can also hear their many influences from Black Flag, to drone rock, to Albert Ayler, to Boredoms, to noise, punk, Dead C, Merzbow, 1960s minimalism and The Stooges et al. In other words everything we love, all mixed together!
This is 100% improvised rock. A spontaneous, monumental, raw and harshly beautiful out-rock masterpiece!
THE THING "ACTION JAZZ" (Out now)
With their third album, Garage (2004), The Thing got critically acclaim from as different medias as DJ Magazine (described as “absurdly cool ), Uncut (4 stars), BBC and The Observer. In the wake of the album they did a sold-out London show with electronica/hip-hop acts Four Tet and Prefuse 73 as well as a sold out Scala (London) with Kieran Hebden/Steve Reid, they toured the jazz clubs of Europe and USA, they blew the rock audience away at Oslo`s Oya Festival (with Sonic Youth`s Thurston Moore as guest guitarist), and they were invited by the Basement Jaxx to play the Wireless Festival in London. Not bad for a free jazz act. But The Thing is not just a traditional jazz band. The Thing´s music is a place where the raw power, filthy sound and fury of punk, garage, rock and noise is expressed through the directness of the spiritual energy, the ecstacy and the emotions one finds in the 60s free jazz. They probably have as much in common with free jazz legends Albert Ayler and Ornette Coleman as they have with todays new wave of avant/noise/punk acts such as Wolf Eyes, Boredoms, Lightning Bolt, Black Dice and Animal Collective.
Now its time for 4th studio album from this power trio, this time recorded in Stockholm`s venerable Atlantis Studios. On this album The Things play tunes by Ornette Coleman, Swedish jazz legend Lars Gullin, Japanese jazz master Yosuke Yamashita, drum/bass noise act Lightning Bolt, Norwegian friends and garage rockers Cato Salsa Experience as well as 2 pieces by The Thing, one by Mats Gustafsson and one by Gustafsson`s 13 year old daughter Alva Melin, a piece described by Thurston Moore as “Does Alva Melin’s groove jam “The Nut” destroy yr mind b4 ignition to free life 4-ever?”
The album is recorded analogue, with only acoustic instruments. This is the sheer power of wood, metal, breath and muscle. This is pure action jazz!
DISKAHOLICS ANONYMOUS TRIO "WEAPONS OF ASS DESTRUCTION" (Out now)
Thurston Moore – Guitar
Jim O' Rourke – Synth
Mats Gustafsson - Saxophones and live-electronics
Diskaholics Anonymous Trio is Thurston Moore and Jim O'Rourke from Sonic Youth and the Swedish free jazz icon Mats Gustafsson. The album was recorded live at Ystads Teater, Sweden, October 6. 2002. The mix and postproduction was done by O`Rourke. With Thurston Moore on guitars, Jim O`Rourke on synth and Mats Gustafsson on sax, the trio creates a pulsing, massive and monumental sound. Free-jazz, noise, electronic ambience, Tony Conrad 60`s style loft-minimalism, drone music and punk all mixed. The result of these three titans clashing together is an intense blow-out. Raw, grandiose and brutally beautiful.
The trio released their first self titled album in 2001 on Crazy Wisdom/Universal. Weapons of Ass Destruction, their second album, will be released worldwide on Smalltown Superjazzz (the free jazz/avant/noise imprint of Smalltown Supersound). Mats Gustafsson has previously worked with Sonic Youth, when he wrote the piece "Hidros 3" exclusively for them, something which lead to the release with the same title on Smalltown Supersound. Gustafsson has also played with the band live many times and has worked with Jim O'Rourke since the mid-nineties, when he became a central part of the Chicago jazz scene.
THE THING "LIVE AT BLÅ" (OUT NOW)
With their third album, Garage, The Thing got acclaim from as different medias as DJ Magazine, Uncut (4 stars), BBC and The Observer. Not bad for a free jazz album. This is the first live document from this sensational trio. The Thing mixes the free jazz ecstasy with the garage rock intensity. And with no electricity, only wood and brass (reeds, bass and drums), they make a hell of a noise, and the album is explosion of energy (the photo on the front cover is taken right after the gig). The album was recorded live at The Thing and Smalltown Supersound`s “home” venue, Blå, in Oslo.
The Thing was established in the spring of February 2000 when the three musicians met to play several concerts and to record the first CD on Crazy Wisdom, a sub label of Swedish Universal. In 2001, they also recorded another CD on the same label as a quartet with Joe McPhee. Both CD´s are out of print. There is also a limited edition LP on Anagram records, where the trio collaborates with the members of School Days, playing tunes by Norman Howard. The trio was a long wanted constellation where several musical styles meet in a very high energetic outlet. All members are influenced by different traditions of free music derived from both Europe and America. When the trio started out, the book contained mainly of tunes by Don Cherry. Since Joe McPhee`s participation, the group's repertoire has included other free jazz standards by Butch Morris, Charles Tyler, Frank Lowe and Norman Howard. Also, the group´s enthusiasm towards rock came clear on the second CD, where "To Bring You My Love" by PJ Harvey was played with very heavy spirit. Today, the book has expanded to include tunes by The White Stripes, The Sonics and Yeah Yeah Yeahs. This is just an example that shows how close musical styles are today, how similar the energy is and can be, and how much today`s audience is melted together, devoted to creative music. The Thing´s music can easily be described as "garage jazz", where the raw power, filthy sound and fury of garage rock, is expressed through the directness of the spiritual energy and emotions one finds in free jazz.
Mats Gustafsson is today Sweden's and one of Europe's biggest name on the free music scene. Through groups like Gush, Peter Brötzmann`s Chicago Tentet and collaborations with Sonic Youth and David Grubbs, he has established himself as a very powerful saxophonist, and has somewhat reinvented the way of playing the saxophone. Ingebrigt Håker Flaten and Paal Nilssen-Love has become known as Norway`s heaviest rhythm-section. Since they`re long time collaboration started in 1992, they have been working in several groups which today also includes School Days with Ken Vandermark, Scorch trio with Raoul Björkenheim, and the Swedish/Norwegian jazz-group Atomic. The Thing does collaborate with Joe McPhee today and in future, on special occasions.
KEN VANDERMARK/PAAL NILSSEN-LOVE "SEVEN" (OUT NOW)
Their two first duo albums “Dual Pleasure” (2002) and the sequel (the double) “Dual Pleasure 2” (2004) received both rave reviews when they were released. “Seven” is the third album by Oslo`s Paal Nilssen-Love and Chicago`s Ken Vandermark. Compared to the two previous albums the duo has, if possible, become even more powerful and groovy. This is free jazz with roots in both the American and the European tradition, in other words; warm, groovy, melodic and funky at the same time as it is raw, wild and energetic. Seven is the pure art of spontanous music. Independent underground jazz at its very best and a free jazz masterpiece.Vandermark and Nilssen-Love started their collaboration in 2000 when the group School Days was formed. One year later they started FME, a trio with bass player Nate McBride. After this it seemed very natural to define a duo. The first occasion for this format was when they recorded the CD ”Dual Pleasure” for Smalltown Supersound in Oslo during the summer of 2002. Shortly after this they performed their first duo concert at Molde International Jazz Festival. Their musical expression results from the influence of several traditions, both geographic and historical. In this duo, Vandermark and Nilssen-Love use free improvisation as a means to explore all levels of dynamics, density, rhythm, timbre, form and tonality. The results of their work are experienced as intense, exhilarating, and boundary breaking. Raw music with brutal beauty!
FREE FALL "AMSTERDAM FUNK" (OUT NOW)
The trio Free Fall was organized by bassist Ingebrigt Haker Flaten, reedist Ken Vandermark, and pianist Haavard Wiik in 2001 as an opportunity to work together in a chamber music environment without percussion. Inspired in part by Jimmy Giuffre's classic group with Paul Bley and Steve Swallow, the group quickly found its own way of working with velocity, space, sound and time, after it first met. The trio has always only performed their original compositions, and released its first album of this material, called “Furnace,” to great acclaim in 2002. The album was released on Mac`s (of the punkrock group Superchunk) jazz label, Wobbly Rail (an imprint of Merge Records).
After playing in Europe and the United States, Free Fall went back into the studio during November, 2004, to record its second album, this time for the Norwegian label Smalltown Superjazzz. Entitled “Amsterdam Funk,” the new album highlights the development of communication and compositional strategies by the band over the last few years. In addition, the recording includes freely improvised performances for the first time. On the tour previous to these studio sessions the band used pure improvisations as their encores, and it made a good deal of sense to include Free Fall's approach to this kind of material on “Amsterdam Funk” as it represents a parallel and equally powerful way of performing by the trio.
THE THING WITH JOE MCPHEE AND CATO SALSA EXPERIENCE "SOUNDS LIKE A SANDWICH" (OUT NOW)
Just after having released their critically acclaimed new album “Garage”, The Thing teams up with their old friend Joe McPhee and Norwegian garage rockers Cato Salsa Experience. The meeting between The Thing and Cato Salsa Experience started at the Kongsberg Jazzfestival in Norway last year, when The Thing was offered the chance to invite their favourite rock band Cato Salsa Experience, for a special collaboration. This mini album is recorded live at Kongsberg Jazzfestival. The concert was such a big success that the bands decided to both tour and to record an album together. The album will be released late in the autumn 2005 on Smalltown Superjazzz.
In the meantime check out this sandwich containing 2 tracks written by Cato Salsa Experience, Led Zeppelin`s “Whole Lotta Love”, Yeah Yeah Yeahs` “Artstar” (which The Thing also did on their Garage album) as well as Don Ayler`s beautiful “Our Prayer”. The result is pure magic. The energy from both the the audience and the bands is unbelievable. The two bands perfectly blends the 1960`s raw garage rock and the free jazz movement from the same period, and creates the perfect fusion. A match made in heaven.
The Thing has earlier released an album with the 66 year old free jazz legend Joe McPhee titled “She Knows” on Carzy Wisdom/Universal. The Thing is now out with “Garage” and album that has received great critical acclaim from among others The Observer, The Independent, Sunday Times, Uncut, Straight No Chaser, Vice Magazine, Jazzwise and Mojo.
Cato Salsa Experience has released 2 albums, “The Fruit Is Still Fresh” and “A Good Tip For A Good Time”, both released on Garalda Records in Europe, Emperor Norton Records in US and on Sony in Japan. They band are currently working on their third album due summer 2005.
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